Stirtz, Cenac Jr., Carr: more Raptors targets in the stacked 2026 NBA Draft

The time has come for some more draft profiles on this year’s class of prospects. This is part two in this year’s draft lookahead, so be sure to check out part one here once you’re done.

We’ll jump right into things today. As it stands, the Raptors are holding firm in that late teens-early twenties range of picks. The late first round looks fairly deep, but also quite volatile at this time of year as more players start to cement their chances at professional basketball or fall off entirely. As a result, I’ll be covering a handful of players who could go anywhere from the mid teens to the early second round, since the Raptors could in theory target any one of them. These guys are good to keep an eye on if you’re curious about which players could fit the best on a developing Raptors squad.

Will the Raptors finally get a big?

Houston’s freshman big Chris Cenac Jr. started the season as a “maybe he’ll go in the top half of the lottery” prospect, to now firmly looking like a mid-late first rounder. Overall inefficiency has plagued his offensive game, and Cenac doesn’t really provide a lot of defensive production given his size and role. Cenac will fight like hell to grab rebounds and he has good positioning, ranking as one of the top 15 players in the nation by defensive rebounding percentage. His offensive rebounding isn’t as good in comparison, but he’s still serviceable when compared to other freshmen. Joseph Tugler has served as the primary defensive anchor for the Cougars, meaning Cenac has operated more at the 4. He’s shown some flashes of being a deterrent at the rim, but nothing concrete to suggest that he’ll be a valuable defensive presence. Cenac has some floor spacing upside and operates well in the PnR with projected top five pick Kingston Flemings, though his shot is still quite a way from being NBA level. At the very least, he’ll help spread defenders out, but until then he’s got to prove that he has a skillset worth drafting in the middle of the first round, and that may be a tough sell.

Malachi Moreno from Kentucky has been a mid-season riser, and a popular request from commenters on last week’s draft piece. He reminds me quite a bit of Jakob Poeltl, as a mobile big with solid passing feel, consistent rim protection, and soft touch around the rim. 2.7 AST to 1.8 TO per 36 minutes bodes extremely well for Moreno’s ability to operate as a playmaking hub in the post, which is a skillset the Raptors covet. Moreno definitely can’t space the floor, and he’s lacking in the strength department. I tend to notice him getting burned on the perimeter more often than not, and his defensive impact stats reflect that.

Flory Bidunga of the Kansas Jayhawks is someone who I can see continuing to rise as the season goes on. An athletic 6’10 big who serves as an elite rim protector and defensive anchor, I feel like Raptors fans love this archetype of big more than the front office does based on previous draft results. Bidunga does all the things you want a traditional big to do. He finishes efficiently at the rim, he blocks shots with ease, he runs the floor, and moves quite well. He also has similar weaknesses of a lot of other bigs of his archetype. He can’t shoot or handle, and he’s rather foul prone. Bidunga will be 21 on draft night as well, so he won’t be as attractive as some other bigs in this range who are a couple years younger or with more varied offensive skillsets. He’s also a fringe first rounder as of this writing, so drafting him in the late teens to early twenties would be a bit of a reach if his value holds. Maybe more of a guy to target by buying a later pick?

Talented guard play:

There still isn’t a clear succession plan at point guard, and Immanuel Quickley was openly shopped at the deadline.

Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz is also a little older, as he’ll be 23 years old as a rookie, but his incredibly polished skillset and mature style of play will nonetheless attract front offices with a desire to win in the near future. One of the best pick and roll operators in college basketball, Stirtz is a threat to find the open man or create his own opportunities with the pace and poise of a multi-year NBA veteran. Impressive handle and footwork allows him to score at three levels, and his shooting will clearly translate to the NBA. Stirtz’ athleticism and on-ball defence will be hurdles that he’ll have to cross, but his floor is incredibly high and appealing for those risk-averse scouts looking for a point guard who will be set to make an offensive impact from day one.

Cameron Carr‘s father Chris finished as a runner up to Kobe Bryant in the 1997 Dunk Contest, and Cameron looks to carry on his father’s legacy in the league. The combo guard from Baylor would further add to the logjam at shooting guard, but he may be the best option available for Toronto in this range. Carr is a high-level athlete who plays with confidence on both ends. An effective shooter with a smooth stroke and effortless ability to relocate off the ball, Carr projects as an ideal complimentary scoring option for a team in need of an offensive punch. He has impressive measurements for his size and plays with a lot of effort on the defensive end, though he’ll need to continue to add strength if he wants to guard bigger wings. Carr also needs to work on his shot selection and court vision, as he’ll often times tune his teammates out if he’s hunting for his own shot. Ultimately, Carr is an intriguing athletic two-way guard with some solid scoring potential.

Maintaining the course with another forward:

Much like the logjam at shooting guard, the Raptors don’t exactly have a burning need in the frontcourt. However, they’re also not in a position to pass up talent in the pursuit of a better short-term fit.

Karim Lopez, a Mexican national playing for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL, is either a lottery lock or a late first rounder depending on who you ask. Some view him as a high-motor, do-it-all option who can guard multiple positions, others see him as a tweener who struggles with his shot and doesn’t have enough other offensive abilities to really separate himself when that shot isn’t falling. Lopez is a strong 6’8 with a 220lb frame, and he possesses some pretty impressive feel and basketball IQ compared to his peers. His shot form looks clean and repeatable in the midrange, albeit with a low release point, but he needs to work on his consistency with shooting from deep if he wants to be taken seriously by defences. Lopez embraces contact and finishes strong at the rim, and he really gives a damn on the defensive end of the floor. He tends to play a bit more like a 4 at this point, but becoming more comfortable on the wing and developing consistency as a shooter and ball-handler would be huge for his development.

Thomas Haugh from Florida fits the typical mold of an impactful college upperclassman who will make an immediate impact in the NBA and will likely be coveted by contending teams looking to bolster their floor spacing. Haugh is versatile and can fit in any lineup that needs a shooter. He knows where he needs to be on the floor, he cuts well, plays with defensive intensity, rebounds the ball, and can playmake when asked to. Haugh is really a jack-of-all-trades, master of none, and his shooting consistency has to level out a bit, but the pitch on him is really hard to ignore for teams in need of a valuable glue guy who can do a variety of things and fit into multiple different lineups.

I know people are growing tired of the logjam of forwards on the Raptors roster, but I can’t help but feel drawn to Lopez and Haugh out of this group of players based on what I’ve seen thus far. More draft previews coming along as the season progresses, so be sure to stay tuned and request any players that we haven’t covered yet who you think could be contenders to be selected by the Raptors on Draft night.

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